Broadneck students belt out musical numbers in Spanish for musical Evita

Hallie Parrott never spoke Spanish until she had to sing it under the bright spotlight on a theater stage.

She held long, smooth notes of the song "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" as the words shifted from her native language to a foreign one.

Parrott, a senior at Broadneck High School, rehearsed Tuesday for her role as the mistress of former Argentine president Juan Perón in the school's bilingual musical "Evita."

The cast and directors of the musical translated parts of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic into Spanish to pay homage to the language of the story's protagonist, Eva Perón, and to reach out to an increasingly Hispanic Anne Arundel County. A cast of 47 students perform the story about a woman's rise to power in Argentina, gaining criticism and adoration before her death at age 33 after a battle with cervical cancer.

Students from Broadneck High School rehearse their upcoming performance of "Evita"

Ana Delgado, a fluent Spanish speaker and a senior at Broadneck, and Andrew Lincoln, the musical director, translated dialogue and lyrics and helped a mostly non-Spanish speaking cast belt out songs in an unfamiliar language.

Students also drew parallels between the characterization of Eva Perón as a power-hungry woman who used her sexuality and charm to gain status and the modern unflattering portrayals of powerful women.

The musical opened Thursday and will run through Feb. 24.

During rehearsal Tuesday, a student who plays Che Guevara in the musical sang:

"She needs a man she can monopolize / With fingers in dozens of different pies."

Students sang and danced in and out of the spotlight during practice. Colorful skirts twirled onstage as the sounds of trumpets, flutes and violins rose from the orchestra pit.

A student who plays Eva Perón's lover sang:

"Eva beware your ambition / It's hungry and cold, can't be controlled, will run wild / This in a man is danger enough, but you are a woman."

Emily Cory, the director of the play, said only a handful of students were familiar with the Spanish language before the musical.

In her almost decade of putting on musicals, Cory said "Evita" is her first bilingual show, an effort to celebrate inclusivity amid a divisive political climate. She said she aims to put on shows that can impact the community, exploring sensitive issues such as teen suicide and drug use.

And she hopes "Evita" will spark conversations about class, gender and politics. History remembers Eva Perón as a controversial woman who was linked to Nazis and fascist leaders but who also fought for the Argentine working class and women's suffrage.

By Matthew Cole / Staff

Students practice during a rehearsal of the production 'Evita' at Broadneck High School on Tuesday night.

Students practice during a rehearsal of the production 'Evita' at Broadneck High School on Tuesday night. (By Matthew Cole / Staff)

"People either loved her or hated her," Cory said.

Delgado, who lives in Annapolis, said she wants Spanish speakers in the audience to feel important when they hear their language onstage.

"They're a part of everything, too," Delgado said.

Isabella Lopez, a senior who plays Eva Perón, expanded her Spanish vocabulary — once consisting of simple words like "gato" and "casa" — to include entire song verses.

Lopez said she got to learn the language of her grandparents and play her "dream role."

"She's a powerful, epic, manipulative woman," she said.

CAPTION

The City of Annapolis is preparing for President Donald Trump's visit on Friday, May 25 to address graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The City of Annapolis is preparing for President Donald Trump's visit on Friday, May 25 to address graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.

CAPTION

The City of Annapolis is preparing for President Donald Trump's visit on Friday, May 25 to address graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The City of Annapolis is preparing for President Donald Trump's visit on Friday, May 25 to address graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.

CAPTION

The Class of 2021 takes 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 35 seconds to complete the annual rite of passage, placing a cap at the top of the greased monument.

The Class of 2021 takes 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 35 seconds to complete the annual rite of passage, placing a cap at the top of the greased monument.

CAPTION

The Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office investigated a top aide to State’s Attorney Wes Adams for four months, responding to a complaint it said was filed anonymously from the prosecutor’s office.

The Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office investigated a top aide to State’s Attorney Wes Adams for four months, responding to a complaint it said was filed anonymously from the prosecutor’s office.

CAPTION

Body camera footage obtained by The Capital depicting the aftermath of a fight outside the Armadillos restaurant in March show an officer who claims to have sprayed Ryan Greenstreet, 23, of Huntingtown in Calvert County, and Michael Richardson, 21, of West River, with his department-issued mace.

Body camera footage obtained by The Capital depicting the aftermath of a fight outside the Armadillos restaurant in March show an officer who claims to have sprayed Ryan Greenstreet, 23, of Huntingtown in Calvert County, and Michael Richardson, 21, of West River, with his department-issued mace.

CAPTION

Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh announced the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Maryland Transit Administration have entered into a partnership to increase security and law enforcement for Light Rail operations in the County.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh announced the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the Maryland Transit Administration have entered into a partnership to increase security and law enforcement for Light Rail operations in the County.